Joy Behar

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Joy Behar

Behar attending the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, March 13, 2010
Born Josephina Victoria Occhiuto
October 7, 1942 (1942-10-07) (age 69)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Comedian
Writer
Co-host on The View
Host on The Joy Behar Show
Years active 1984–present
Religion None (agnostic)
Spouse Joe Behar (1965–1981)
Steve Janowitz (2011–present)

Josephina Victoria "Joy" Behar (née Occhiuto; born October 7, 1942)[1] is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View. Behar had a commentary program, entitled The Joy Behar Show, on CNN's sister network, HLN.[2] It was cancelled on November 17, 2011.[3]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Behar, an Italian-American,[4] was born Josephina Victoria Occhiuto in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on October 7, 1942. Her grandfather was Giuseppe Occhiuto born in Fagnano Castello, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy.[5] Her mother, Rose (née Carbone), was a seamstress, and her father, Gino Occhiuto, was a truck driver for Coca-Cola.[6][7]

[edit] Career

[edit] The early years & The View

Joy Behar got her start in show business in the early 1980's as a stand up comedian, including appearances on ABC's 'Good Morning America', and 'The New Show', a short lived Loren Michaels NBC project. In 1987 she had a talk show on Lifetime Television called 'Way Off Broadway'. From there she continued to work the comedy club circuit, was a regular on NBC's 'Baby Boom', and had minor film rolls including 'Cookie', 'This Is My Life', and 'Manhattan Murder Mystery'. She also was a WABC (AM) radio talk show host, and made appearances on HBO Comedy Specials 'One Night Stand' and 'Women Of The Night 2',

In 1997 Behar became one of the original cast members of Barbara Walters's ABC television creation, The View. Originally, Behar appeared only on the days when Walters was away from the show; ultimately, Behar became a regular co-host, with the panel expanding to five when Walters rejoined. Behar often hosts a segment called "Joy's Comedy Corner" in which she presents up-and-coming comedians.

Star Jones, former co-host on The View, and Behar had well-publicized disputes. On March 27, 2006, Star Jones called in to the show to discuss a recent operation that she had undergone. After talking with the show's co-hosts, Behar abruptly stated to Jones, "OK, Star. That's enough about you. On to us. Bye. Keep your [breasts] perky!"[8] Jones then responded, "Even today, you [Behar] are still a bitch."[8]

In August 2009 Behar, alongside her co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Barbara Walters and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, won the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Talk Show Host. It follows over a decade of nominations for The View. None of the co-hosts of the show traveled from New York to Los Angeles to attend the ceremony, however.[9]

[edit] Other work

Behar has also made theater appearances in The Food Chain and The Vagina Monologues. Behar wrote a book of humorous essays and stories called Joy Shtick — Or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments?, published in 1999. She has also written a children's book called Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog, published in 2006.

Behar frequently incorporates her Italian-American culture into her comedy and once told Charlie Rose on his PBS program that her grandmother kept a picture of Mussolini in her home.

She appeared on the eighth season of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown and finished in fourth place, behind Robin Tunney, Christopher Meloni and Macy Gray, but ahead of Andy Dick. She played for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Beginning in 2007, she has occasionally filled in as a guest host on Larry King Live. On June 11, 2009, Behar announced that she would be hosting her own news/talk program on CNN's HLN beginning in the fall of 2009, titled The Joy Behar Show. She did not leave The View, but worked on both shows simultaneously.[2] The final broadcast of the The Joy Behar Show was on December 15, 2011.

Behar played the part of "Dr. Lucy" in the 2011 comedy film Hall Pass.[10]

[edit] Personal life

Occhiuto married Joe Behar in January 1965; they divorced in 1981. They have one daughter, Eve (b. 1970).[11] Joy Behar has been in a relationship with Steve Janowitz since July 10, 1982, whom she called her 'spousal equivalent'. On March 17, 2009, Behar announced on The View that she might eventually marry Janowitz.[12] Behar called off the engagement three months later[13] because she wanted people to stop talking about it. On August 11, 2011, Behar married Janowitz.[14]

Behar holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Queens College (class of 1964), and a Master of Arts degree in English education from the State University of New York at Stony Brook (class of 1966). She taught English in the late 1960s and early 1970s at Lindenhurst High School on Long Island, New York. She has identified herself as agnostic. [15] She resides in Manhattan. Behar became a grandmother on February 28, 2011 when her daughter had a son, Luca.[16] Behar is a member of the Delta Zeta sorority.[17]

[edit] Criticism and controversy

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The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in an open letter to Behar, admonished Behar regarding her description of then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as "Hitler-like", noting that "Hitler's actions during the Second World War and his responsibility for the Holocaust have no parallel in history."[18]

Behar has also drawn criticism from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, whose president, William A. Donohue, once remarked that Behar, who was raised Catholic "is no stranger to Catholic bashing", pointing to her statement, "Don't you remember when you went to Communion? 'In vino veritas.' The priests were all drunk, don't you remember?", which earned her criticism from the Catholic League. Donohue claimed there "is an anti-Catholic animus evident among the panelists on The View, with Rosie O'Donnell and Joy Behar being the worst offenders."[19]

On December 11, 2009, Rachel Uchitel received an apology from The View after Behar called her a hooker.[20][21][22]

On October 14, 2010, Behar and Whoopi Goldberg walked off the set of The View after they both disagreed with statements made by Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly, specifically O'Reilly's statement, "Muslims killed us on 9/11."[23] Barbara Walters then told the audience, "We should be able to have discussion without... walking off stage."[24]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Awards and nominations

GLAAD Media Award

  • 2010 Excellence in Media Award

Daytime Emmy Award

  • 1998 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 1999 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2000 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2001 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2002 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2003 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2003 Award for Best Talk Show (The View)
  • 2004 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2005 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2006 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2007 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2008 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
  • 2009 Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)
  • 2010 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Behar turned 67 in October 2009, according to http://cityfile.com/dailyfile/7478
  2. ^ a b Joy Behar Gets a TV Show All Her Own – TV News, Joy Behar : People.com
  3. ^ Ariens, Chris. Joy Behar’s HLN Show Canceled, TVNewser, November 17, 2011.
  4. ^ Q&A with Joy Behar abc.go.com. Retrieved 25/02/08.
  5. ^ Joy Behar: Talk Show The View On ABC
  6. ^ Smith, Dinitia (1992-11-09). "Joy Shtick". New York Magazine (New York Media): 50–51. ISSN0028-7369. 
  7. ^ Zukerman, Eugenia (2003). In My Mother's Closet: An Invitation to Remember. Sorin Books. pp. 192–193. ISBN 1893732479. 
  8. ^ a b Star, Joy Bleeped, Cut Off in On-Air Fight on 'View'
  9. ^ Bold wins at Daytime Emmy Awards, Los Angeles Times
  10. ^ "Hall Pass (2011) - Full cast and crew". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480687/fullcredits. Retrieved 21 February 2011. 
  11. ^ Joy Behar at the Internet Movie Database
  12. ^ Joy Behar May Marry Boyfriend People, March 17, 2009
  13. ^ Joy Behar Marriage Can Wait OK!, July 31, 2009
  14. ^ Shira, Dahvi (12 August 2011). "Joy Behar Marries Steve Janowitz". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20518166,00.html. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  15. ^ Joy Behar (1999), Joy Shtick — Or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments?, Hyperion, p. 178 
  16. ^ Behar becomes a grandmother
  17. ^ "Alumnae". Delta Zeta. http://www.deltazetasorority.com/dynamic/?Action=show_custom_content&pageid=488. Retrieved 31 July 2011. 
  18. ^ ADL letter
  19. ^ Catholic League news release about The View
  20. ^ "‘View’ apologizes to alleged Woods mistress". Today Show powered by MSN. msnbc.msn.com. December 11, 2009. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34383168/ns/entertainment-television. Retrieved June 21, 2010. 
  21. ^ "'View' Apologizes for Calling Rachel Uchitel a 'Hooker'". Extra. extratv.warnerbros.com. December 11, 2009. http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/12/view_apologizes_for_calling_rachel_uchitel_a_hooker.php. Retrieved June 21, 2010. 
  22. ^ "Rachel: I'm no hooker, but maybe I'll do 'Playboy'". New York Post (nypost.com). December 11, 2009. http://www.nypost.com/p/rachel_no_hooker_p5qczfVoT8BYz6FH26tzaL. Retrieved June 21, 2010. 
  23. ^ YouTube – Bill O'Reilly Gets Whoopi Goldberg & Joy Behar to Walk Off The View
  24. ^ VIDEO: "Whoopi Goldberg & Joy Behar Storm Off The View"

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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